Little Rock, AR - The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) will host its 14th Annual Conference & Expo in Nashville, Tenn., at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, June 15-19, 2004. It is anticipated that over 2,000 healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds, including disease management, rehabilitation, insurance, social work, behavioral health, and many other areas of expertise will converge for the five-day program. Core competency areas of case management, cutting-edge clinical issues, legal updates, and much more will be highlighted.

The theme of NASHVILLE 2004, "Passion, Power, & Promise," reflects the excitement and enthusiasm case managers possess in today's challenging healthcare environment and the anticipation for the growth of case management in the future. It also mirrors the conference's most important purpose - to provide case management professionals with the tools and skills they need to effectively manage their healthcare role.

Keynotes this year include Drs. Christine Dumas and Kevin Soden, authors of SPECIAL TREATMENT: HOW TO GET THE SAME HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE YOUR DOCTOR GETS; Peg Neuhauser, author of CULTURE.COM: BUILDING CORPORATE CULTURE IN THE CONNECTED WORKPLACE; and Dr. Greg Lester, author of POWER WITH PEOPLE.

CMSA's Master Series will feature guest speakers, Dr. Suzanne Salimbene, author of WHAT LANGUAGE DOES YOUR PATIENT HURT IN?; Dr. James Dillard, author of CHRONIC PAIN SOLUTION; and Joe and Teresa Graedon, recipients of the 2003 Walter C. Alvarez Award from the American Medical Writers Association in recognition of their outstanding communications about health and medicine.

CMSA will also introduce a new form of breakthrough learning known as "edu-tainment." JAZZ IMPACT, a renowned jazz ensemble, will educate and entertain as they translate the passion, innovation, and collaborative abilities of a jazz band into imperatives for businesses in the 21st Century.

CMSA and Pfizer Inc., are working together to create a tool for measurement of case management impact on improving adherence to recommended treatment. The goal is to learn more about which case management interventions result in adherence (best practice). Toward this end, Pfizer is sponsoring Dr. Bruce Berger's session (Friday, June 18) on "Assessing & Interviewing for Meaningful Behavior Change: Helping Patients Better Manage Their Illnesses." The session will be videotaped and used in training programs throughout the nation to create a Case Manager Adherence Provider Network (CMAPN) with the goal to promote more effective patient adherence to recommended treatment.

Nashville 2004 is also introducing the first of its kind Physician/Case Manager track to recognize, facilitate, and improve effective teamwork between physicians and case managers. The track is approved for up to 3.75 CME Category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.

Also new this year is CMSA's Online Conference Registration at www.cmsa.org/conference/ , where you'll also find complete program information. For additional information, call 501-225-2229, ext 10.

For other information about CMSA's 14th Annual Conference & Expo, or if you or a colleague need PRESS PASS information, please contact Tena Bolin at tbolin@acminet.com , or at 501-225-2229, ext 43.
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